I'm frequently asked which Disney resort I prefer- DISNEYLAND or Walt Disney World. For those who know me best, the answer is obvious.
I can still remember my very first visit to DISNEYLAND as a child. I instantly fell in love with the park, despite knowing little about it or the great man who willed it into being. Sleeping Beauty Castle was the most beautiful building I had ever seen. It was almost as if I could sense the love that Walt Disney put into building the place. When I started reading more about Walt Disney, I gained an even bigger love of his park.
DISNEYLAND was Walt Disney's pride and joy. He thought about it constantly, dreaming up new ways to improve things and trying to make things better for his guests.
He loved showing off his dream come true. DISNEYLAND was truly the result of one man's passion to collect the things he loved in one location so that the world could enjoy them too.
And that's the big difference between DISNEYLAND and Walt Disney World. A common thought within Walt Disney Imagineering was that the charming DISNEYLAND was a magical park built by a father for his daughters while Walt Disney World was built by a committee for the crowds.
To me, DISNEYLAND feels like it is one man's personal collection of things he loves. He's invited us into his home to show us his magical collection and share with us the wonderful things that he has dreamed up.
Walt Disney World in Florida feels like it was designed by a group of people who have merely included things they thought people would like. They may not like those things themselves, but they were fairly certain the public would like them.
For those reasons, my heart will always belong to DISNEYLAND. Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom is full of magic inside and out. While Florida's resort is nice, it is missing that extra something that only a true dreamer can bring to his passion project. That spark is everywhere in DISNEYLAND and nowhere in Florida.
DISNEYLAND is Magic. DISNEYLAND is a Dream Come True. DISNEYLAND is Walt.
